Night Visitor
by Boadicia
Summary: The spirit of Anakin Skywalker decides to pay the Solo kids a visit late one night. Finished.
1. Uninvited Guest

Uninvited Guest

"Hurry to bed, you three!"

Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin sat up and looked at their bedroom door at the same time. Their mother knocked on it from the other side. "Are you in bed yet!"

The three scrambled to their beds and pulled the covers over their heads. The droid parts they, or rather Anakin, had been working on were left in the center of the room. The bedroom door slid open. Leia poked her head into the room. She glanced at each child individually before noticing the pile of parts on the floor.

"Would anybody like to explain the little experiment on the carpet?" No one spoke. "Get it up. Now."

"It was Anakin's idea!" Jacen whined from under the covers.

"I don't care," Leia said. "Get it up. If it's still there in the morning, then you're all grounded." All three children jumped out of bed and practically threw themselves onto the pile. Leia smirked as she stood back and let the door slide closed. With a verbal command, she ordered all the lights to dim before walking into her own bedroom.

Her husband Han was already half asleep. She carefully lowered herself onto her side of the bed and propped her foot against the table next to the headboard. She wiggled her toes as she examined the nail she had broken earlier against the edge of the dinner table.

"Figures," she whispered to herself. "This is the first time we've all eaten together in a month, and I choose that time to break a toenail." She reached for the clipper and began to rectify the offending nail. When she was done, she reached over to turn off the table lamp. Just as she did so, she felt a ripple in the Force, followed by what she thought was a presence. She didn't instantly recognize it, though it did feel familiar. She reached into her children's room with the Force and panicked when she discovered the presence was there with them. She heard them scream for about three seconds, but then she calmed a bit when her children actually felt excited, and happy, about their visitor.

Careful not to disturb Han, Leia slipped out of bed and ran to the children's room as quickly as she could without making noise. She could hear laughter from the other side. Perfectly relaxed now, she placed her ear against the door to listen.

(X)

"Hurry up," Jaina urged as she lifted an armful of mechanical bits and stuffed them into the box. Jacen complied silently. Anakin, however, stayed in bed to watch. Jaina rubbed her hands together as she climbed back into bed. "You were a big help, Anakin," she commently sarcastically. Anakin said nothing. He was too busy staring at a corner of the room.

"What are you looking at?" Jacen asked as he climbed into his own bed. Anakin's response was simply to point at the corner. Jacen and Jaina glanced towards where he was pointing. A glowing blue figure was standing there. He appeared young, about his early twenties, with unruly brown hair that barely reached his shoulder. He was dressed in Jedi robes with his hands tucked into each other's sleeves. The children stared at him for a moment, then glanced at one another and screamed.

The apparition lifted a finger to his mouth. "Hush! Quiet!" The children continued screaming. "I said quiet!" the apparition demanded. Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin instantly ceased screaming. "Feel better?" he asked. They nodded.

The spirit sat on the edge of Jaina's bed. "This isn't how I hoped our first meeting would go. Sorry about that."

"Who are you?" Jaina and Jacen asked at the same time.

The spirit flashed a wopsided grin. "I'm Anakin Skywalker. Your grandfather."

There was half a second of silence before the children squealed again, but this time it was from excitement. Jacen and Anakin leapt from their beds and onto Jaina's. Anakin Skywalker cringed at the thought they might try to tackle him. He jumped from the bed as Anakin Solo threw himself towards Anakin Skywalker. The spirit backed away and held his hands up.

"Don't move! You can't do that!"

Anakin Solo pouted. "Why not? Uncle Luke lets us jump on him."

"Yes, but your Uncle Luke is alive and solid."

"Oh." On a whim, Little Anakin reached out with a single finger to poke Big Anakin. Little Anakin's finger slid through a little ways before Big Anakin noticed and pulled his robes away.

"Stop that!"

"Anakin!" Jaina called.

"What?" they both responded.

Jaina rolled her eyes. "Not you," she said while pointing to her grandfather. "I mean you." She pointed to her little brother. "Get back over here."

Little Anakin took his time in complying. He crawled onto Jaina's bed and snuggled against her side. "Tell us a story," he said against her arm.

"A story?" Big Anakin said. He thought for a moment. "What kind of story?" he asked with a tinge of suspicion.

"The one about the lost bantha cub!" Little Anakin suggested.

"No!" Jacen said. "You always con Threepio into telling you that story. I want to hear a story about when he was Darth Vader!"

Big Anakin groaned as if he had eaten Hutt food. "No!" Jaina added. "I want to hear about when he fought in the Clone Wars!"

"Darth Vader!" Jacen protested.

"Clone Wars!" Jaina insisted.

"Darth Vader!"

Clone Wars!"

"Darth Vader!"

"Clone Wars!"

Big Anakin placed both hands against his head and sighed. If he didn't know better, he'd swear he was getting a headache. "Is this what I missed by not raising my own children?"

(X)

Leia covered her mouth to avoid being heard. She choked down the urge to laugh at the idea of Anakin Skywalker being physically and verbally assaulted by a pair of six-year-olds and their five-year-old brother. She cleared her mind and focused with the Force to make herself calm down enough to continue listening.

(X)

"Darth Vader!"

"Clone Wars!"

"Darth Vader!"

"Clone Wars!"

"Enough!" Big Anakin finally shouted. The children stopped bickering and looked at him in shock. "What?" he asked uneasily.

"You're going to wake up Mom and Dad," Jacen whispered.

Fine time to start whispering, Big Anakin thought. "If they're awake, it's from your screaming. Not mine."

The children began to pout again. "Please don't do that," Big Anakin unconsciously begged. "If you stop, I'll tell you about the time Obi-Wan Kenobi and I rescued Chancellor Palpatine from General Grievous."

"Palpatine?" Jaina asked. "Wasn't he the Emperor?"

"Uh, yeah, but he wasn't at the time, and no one knew he was a Sith Lord yet," Big Anakin quickly recovered. "Besides, it's a cool story."

"Okay," the children said in unison.


	2. Tell Me a Story

Tell Me a Story

"So there I was! Fighting Count Dooku, the evil Darth Tyranus!"

The children had gotten comfortable on Jaina's bed. They were lying on their stomachs with their heads propped on their hands and listening intently to their grandfather's rather embellished tale.

"Then I kicked him over the rail!" Big Anakin kicked out. "And we fought on the floor below!" Buzzing "Waaaaaa" sounds came from Big Anakin's mouth as he swung an imaginary lightsaber. He went over every part of the battle in detail, with body language for emphasis. The children gasped and laughed at the appropriate moments.

"Then I swung my lightsaber around," Big Anakin moved his hands around in a big arc to demonstrate, "caught him from beneath, and cut his hands off!"

The children gasped and covered their mouths.

"His lightsaber went flying, and I caught it! And sliced his head off!"

The children remained perfectly silently. Big Anakin didn't like the sound of silence. He turned to see what the children were up to. They were all sitting up and staring at the door. Big Anakin turned some more. He met the gaze of a very angry Leia Organa Solo standing at the door.

"It would be a good idea for you to stop right there," Leia threatened. She narrowed her eyes at the apparition and leaned forward as if to get a better look. Then her eyes widened. "Anakin?"

"What?" both Big and Little Anakin asked.

"Not you," Leia said while pointing at Little Anakin. "You," she said to Big Anakin.

"They just wanted to hear a story," Big Anakin insisted.

Leia did not recognize the apparition's appearance, but she knew through the Force that it was indeed Anakin Skywalker. She pointed her thumb towards the living room. "It would be a good idea for you to come out here."

All four people moved towards the door. "Not you!" Leia said to the children. "You three get back into bed. Now."

"But Grampa hasn't gotten to the part where he and Obi-Wan faced General Grievous!" Jacen whined.

"I don't care. Get to bed."

Jacen and Little Anakin crawled into their own beds as Jaina got back into hers. "No more goofing off," Leia advised them. "Though I know it's not totally your fault, this time." She waved a hand at Big Anakin to follow her. They stepped out into the living room. Leia opted to keep the lights down so she could see the apparition better. She dropped herself onto the couch, while Anakin took the nearest chair.

Leia studied him for a moment. "I don't recognize you. You didn't look like this when you popped into my bedroom on Bakura all those years ago."

"I know, but I probably should have. Then maybe you would have warmed up to me faster."

Leia rolled her eyes. "What were you doing in there?"

"What do you mean?"

"That story you were telling my children."

"They wanted me to tell them a story." Anakin sounded somewhat defensive.

"I know. I heard the twins arguing over it. Jacen wanted a Darth Vader story, and Jaina wanted a Clone Wars story. Anakin, as always, was totally quiet."

"You heard that?"

"Of course. I was standing at the door with my ear against it."

"For how long?"

"Since the children first screamed. In other words, the whole time. Don't go anywhere." Leia got up and walked into the kitchen. She returned with a glass bottle full of a sweet dark liquid.

"You shouldn't be drinking that," Anakin said as she sat down. "You'll be running to the refresher all night."

"Well, thanks to you and your grandchildren, I don't think I'll be returning to bed anytime soon. Which is a real shame, since this is the first time the five of us have been together in about a month."

"Sorry about that. I just wanted to see them up close."

"And you ended up telling them that horrible story."

Anakin furrowed his brow. "I didn't think it was horrible. It's a true story."

"I don't doubt that, but it is too mature for their ages."

"What do you mean? They've seen lightsaber fights before. Jacen even used Luke's lightsaber on Yavin Four once when he was only two."

"I don't mean that." Leia took a sip. "I mean the part about cutting off that man's hands and then decapitating him. And you sounded like you enjoyed it."

"The telling? Or the doing?"

"Both."

Anakin waited for her to take another sip before speaking. "It isn't what you think. The circumstances were. . ." Anakin struggled for the right word. ". . .complicated," he finished.

Leia curled her legs under her and leaned to the side. "I kind of figured that by now. I've learned, the hard way, that the line between good and evil is very thin and blurry."

"And changes location without notice."

Leia stretched across the couch as if to fall asleep, but she kept her eyes on Anakin. She gave him a mischievous smile and saluted him with her bottle. "You can, however, finish telling that story to me. I want to hear about this General Grievous."

Anakin smiled and jumped to his feet. "Sure!"

"Just one thing," Leia quickly added before he began. "Please leave out the sound effects."


	3. Three's Company

Three's Company

Leia actually seemed interested as her father's spirit told her how he and Obi-Wan got captured and taken to General Grievous. She silently took a mental note on the mention of R2-D2 and took another sip of her soft drink. Leia nearly spat her drink through her nose when he told her the part about running, and falling, through the elevator shaft with two grown men hanging on to him.

"So he said to me, 'Anakin Skywalker,'" Anakin slumped over as he imitated General Grievous's husky voice, "'I expected someone of your reputation to be older.' Then I gave him a defiant look and said, 'I expected you to be taller.'"

He continued on until he reached the part where he was reunited with Padmé. "Then she told me she was pregnant."

Leia sat up on the couch. "It's a good thing Luke isn't here, or else he'd grill you with a million questions, but I want to know for his sake. What was our mother like?"

Anakin sat in the chair he'd occupied earlier. "Her name was Padmé Amidala. A galactic senator who was into politics, sandy beaches, and flashy wardrobes. The exact opposite of what I was into. I swear, I never saw her wear the same thing twice. But I guess it was all right since I never had to pay for anything. Besides, her clothes always looked their best crumpled on the floor."

"What?"

If Anakin were alive, he would have blushed. "You didn't hear that."

"Yes, I did."

"No, you didn't."

"Let's not start acting like Jaina and Jacen. And yes, I did."

"Okay, fine. I did say that. Anyway, I wish I'd thought to tell her not to wear that cinnamon roll hairstyle again. Just in case we had a girl, I didn't want the child to think that style was fashionable."

"Hey! I'm offended by that!"

"Why?"

Leia waved her bottle at him. "Because that's the style I was wearing when you captured me over Tatooine!"

"Case in point. It leads to nothing but trouble. Even that noose hairstyle you wore on Bespin was better." Leia grimaced at him. "Besides," Anakin said, "you're not wearing either style anymore, so what's the big deal?"

"Whatever. Moving on." She took another sip. "When do we get to the part where you turn to the Dark Side?"

"Why?"

"For Jacen," Leia suggested. "Besides, you said it was complicated."

"Which is part of why I don't want to get into it."

Leia opened her mouth, but no words came out. She heard her bedroom door slide open. A groggy Han Solo stumbled into the living room. He yawned, scratched his belly, and glanced at Leia. "Hey," he started before yawning again. "Leia, what the hell are you doing out here?"

"Nothing. Just having a drink."

"A drink? This late at night? You'll be running to the refresher all night."

"So I've been told." She took another sip.

Han stepped closer to her. "Whom have you been talking to out here?"

"Hmm?" Leia raised her eyes to him with her lips still attached to the bottle.

"I heard you talking. It was a one-sided conversation, but you're not the kind of person to hallucinate. Were you and Luke engaging in one of your semi-mystical Jedi twin things again?"

Leia lowered the bottle and swallowed. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Han wasn't convinced. He stepped over to the chair and prepared to sit.

"Han!" Leia called to him.

Han straightened. "What? What is it?"

"Uh, don't sit there. Come sit beside me." Leia lowered her feet to the floor and rubbed the empty spot beside her.

"No thanks," Han said. "You're just a little too weird for me right now." Han prepared to sit again.

"Han!" Leia called again. This time, without thinking, she waved her hand towards the chair. It slid from under him and across the room. Han fell to the floor as if he were drunk. Leia set her bottle onto the coffee table and dropped to Han's side. "I'm sorry," she said as she helped him to his feet. "I shouldn't have done that."

Han rubbed his back. "You think?" He decided to take the couch spot she offered earlier. "Why the hell did you do that, anyway?"

Leia looked at the chair. Anakin looked away and shrugged. "Um, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

Leia sat beside Han. "Well, that chair is occupied."

"What?" Han looked at the chair, then back at Leia. "I don't see anyone."

Leia shrugged. "It's one of those Jedi things you hate so much."

Leia reached out with the Force and pulled the chair back to its original position. Anakin held his feet up and exclaimed, "Wheeeee!"

Han noticed Leia turn away and giggle. "What are you doing? Which Jedi thing is it?"

Leia's expression became serious. "I told you. Someone is in the chair."

"Oh, yeah? Who?"

Leia appeared to think about it. "My father. The real one. The reason I'm subject to those weird Jedi twin things in the first place."

Han looked back at the chair again. "Yeah. Right."

Leia sqeezed her knees against each other. "Han, have you ever known me to lie? Why would I make up such a thing?"

Han shrugged. "Well, considering how you reacted the last time you saw him . . ."

"Oh, Han, that was over ten years ago. I've grown so much since then."

"Really?" Han looked her up and down, but his eyes finally settled on her chest. "Where?"

Leia didn't understand at first. Then she realized what he was looking at. She gasped and covered her chest with both hands. "Han, please! We have a guest! My father, even!"

"Where? I don't see him."

Leia's knees clamped tighter. Her legs bounced as if she were impatient. "Is something wrong?" Han asked. "You look jittery."

Leia thought about it for a moment. Then she jumped up and ran off. "Don't do or say anything stupid! I have to go to the refresher!"

Han leaned against the armrest. "Good advice."

Anakin sighed. Though he knew Han wouldn't hear him, he said aloud, "She was talking about you!"


	4. Guilty by Association

Guilty by Association

Anakin Skywalker heard a prolonged sigh of relief from Leia during her third trip to the refresher. His legs were crossed as best as he could manage in the chair with his hands resting on his knees. His eyes were closed in meditation. He was not disturbed by Leia's sigh of relief, nor Han's snoring as he slept on the couch. He deliberately ignored the three children crowded around Han as they applied different things to their father's face. They stopped when they heard the refresher door slide open.

"Hurry up," Jaina whispered. "Let's go."

Big Anakin remained exactly as he was while Jaina, Jacen, and Little Anakin scrambled into the next room. They would not have reached their bedroom in time. They clutched their mother's cosmetics and hid behind the corner. Leia returned to the room and dropped herself next to Han.

"Where were we?" Leia asked in reference to a mind game she and Big Anakin had been playing through the night. At first, she did not notice anything different about her husband. The room was still lit only by the city lights outside the window.

Big Anakin didn't say anything nor make a move. All the same, Leia got a deliberately jumbled image in her mind, then jumped to her feet. "It's a Trade Federation droideka!" The image cleared as a sign that she got it right. "All right," she said as she sat again. "That's three for three."

She leaned towards Han to try to wake him again. She gasped and leaned back when she saw how colorful his face looked. Her eyes slowly rotated towards Big Anakin meditating in the chair. "Anakin," she growled suspiciously.

A head poked out from around the corner. "What?" Little Anakin asked. A tiny hand emerged from behind the corner and wrapped around Little Anakin's head. It covered his mouth as it pulled him back behind the corner.

Leia sighed and shook her head. "Anakin!" she called to the corner.

"What!" they both called back. Big Anakin opened his eyes and swung his arms around in exasperation.

Leia ignored him. "Anakin! Jaina! Jacen! Out here! Now!"

Her yelling caused Han to stir. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, which smeared his mascara. "Leia, why the hell are you yelling? Do you have any idea what time it is?" He looked at her with unfocused eyes. Black smears covered his temples. The blush was all over his nose as well as his cheeks. The lipstick was obviously applied with an inexperienced hand.

Leia avoided the urge to laugh, but the sight calmed her enough to think clearly. "Just go back to bed, Han. Trust me on this."

"Are you okay out here?"

Leia reached for her newly opened bottle. "Yes, I'm sure." She waved a hand to encourage him on. "Watch your step," she said as he walked past Big Anakin.

"Are you going to stay up all night?" he asked when he reached the other side of the room.

Leia waved her drink at him. "I really have no choice now." When he disappeared into the bedroom, Leia glanced back to where her children were hiding. "Come out, come out, wherever you are," she spoke with a commanding voice.

All three children emerged from around the corner. They kept their heads bowed as they shuffled into the living room and came to a stop on the other side of the table. Jacen's hand was still wrapped around Little Anakin's mouth.

"Well?" Leia asked. "Would any of you like to explain what happened to your father?"

At first, all three remained perfectly silent. Then Little Anakin pulled Jacen's hand away. "It was Grampa's idea."

Big Anakin gasped as if he were having a heart attack. "It wasn't!" Big Anakin insisted. "I had nothing to do with it. I swear!"

Leia shook her head. "Why am I not convinced?"

"I had nothing to do with it." Big Anakin took on a serious, almost psychotic, mien. "Why am I even explaining any of this to you like I'm one of your kids? I'm YOUR father!"

Leia wasn't impressed. "Where were you when they were abusing Han's face?"

"Oh," Big Anakin said. "I guess I backed into that one." He shrugged. "Oh well. How long do you intend to let him look like that? He'll ruin your sheets."

"I swear, was every Skywalker this insane? Is it some genetic quirk that skipped Luke and me?"

"Actually, yes."

Leia wasn't sure if he were joking. "These kids drive me to drink. I didn't think my own father would too." She took a sip from her bottle. "As for you three," she said to the children, "get your butts back to bed."

"But we can't sleep," Jaina whined. They seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

Leia glanced at her father. "Fine. It's the weekend with special circumstances. Knock yourselves out. But!" she said while raising her finger. "If any one of you gets into trouble, then you're all going back to bed. Understand?"

All three children nodded. Leia dismissed them with a wave of her hand. "This is your doing," she accused the apparition. "If you hadn't come along in the middle of the night, my kids would still be asleep and everything would be quiet."

"You're always blaming me for your problems."

"Well, if you'd behave every once in a while, I wouldn't have to."

"Where's the fun in that?" Big Anakin asked.

"You're supposed to be a Jedi Master," Leia said. "One with the Force. You should know better."

Big Anakin folded his arms. "I can't believe it. I'm being chastised by my own daughter."

Leia shrugged. "It could be worse," she said before taking another sip.

"I know," Big Anakin said. "I could be chastised by the one woman insane enough to have sex with me and give birth to my babies." A sudden epiphany came to Big Anakin. His finger shot out towards Leia. "That's where those crazy genes came from!"


	5. Grandfather Grimm

Grandfather Grimm

Jaina held the piece of glass between her fingers. It was shaped like a narrow diamond and sharp on both ends. Tapping into the Force, she carefully placed it onto the table upright. "Okay," she told Jacen, "it's your turn."

Big Anakin watched in silence as Jacen took an identical piece and placed it perfectly on top of the first one. "Rotate it," Big Anakin dared.

"What?" Jacen said. "But that will make it too hard."

"That's the point. How else will you get better at mastering the Force if you don't do more difficult things?"

Little Anakin watched Leia empty her fifth drink. "Excuse me," she said as she got up for another trip to the refresher. When she was out of earshot, Little Anakin leaned towards the apparition.

"Can you tell us another story?" His eyes were large and filled with hope.

"I don't know," Big Anakin said with a shake of his head. "What if your mother doesn't approve?"

"She'll be in there all night," the little one said while pointing towards the refresher. "Trust me."

The big one leaned back in the chair. "I don't like the idea of one of my direct descendants asking me to trust him. It doesn't feel right. I, of all people, should know."

"Pleeeeeeeeeese!" the twins added with smiles. "We'll be good."

Big Anakin felt his face twitch. At the same time, he could not resist the overwhelming power of three whimpering Force-sensitive children, especially since they were his own grandchildren. His face twitched again. "All right, fine. What do you want?"

"Finish that story from the Clone Wars," Jaina offered.

"Oooooh no!" Big Anakin said. "I'm not getting into trouble for that again. Try something else."

"Well, you think of something."

Big Anakin sighed, then sat up. "I got it. This is a story that was told to me during my own childhood, during my Jedi training. About a woman who wanted a baby."

"Eeeeeeeeewwwwwww!" all three children said collectively. Big Anakin loudly cleared his throat. The children fell silent.

"Thank you," Big Anakin continued. "Well, anyway, there was a woman who wanted a baby."

"Was she married?" Jacen asked.

"Yes! Now, there was a woman, and her husband," Big Anakin added, "who wanted to have a baby. Then, the following year, they had a baby boy. Unfortunately, she fell ill and died."

"Is that it?" Jaina asked. "That's not much of a story."

"No, that's not it!" Big Anakin insisted. "Now shut-up and let me finish!" All three children gasped as if he had insulted them. "I mean, be quiet. Please."

The trio nodded. "Okay," Anakin continued. "A few years later, the father married another woman. She had a beautiful daughter named Marlichan."

"Can you name her Jaina?" Jaina asked. "And the little boy can be Jacen."

Big Anakin cringed. "I don't think you want them to have those names."

"Why not?"

"Well, if you let me finish the story, you'll find out."

"Well, what's the boy's name?" Little Anakin asked.

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE LITTLE BOY'S NAME IS!" The children leaned back at the spirit's sudden outburst. Big Anakin covered his mouth.

"What's going on out there!" The refresher door opened, and Leia stepped into the room. "Father, are you harrassing my children?"

Big Anakin lowered his hands. "No. They're just overreacting. Right?" he asked the children. The look on his face suggested it would be a good idea to play along. All three nodded. Big Anakin smiled at Leia. "See?"

"Right," Leia said suspiciously. "I'm headed for the kitchen to make a snack. Any of you want anything?"

"I want a sandwich," Little Anakin suggested.

"Me too," the twins added in unison.

"Good," Leia said as she headed for the kitchen. Only Big Anakin heard her mumble, "You can't talk with food in your mouth."

_Bless the Force for that,_ Big Anakin thought. "May I finish the story now?" Anakin asked when Leia was out of earshot. The children nodded. "Now where was I?"

"What about the children's names?" Jacen interrupted.

Big Anakin thought fast. "We'll call the boy Wes, and the girl Keeli."

"Why can't they be Jacen and Jaina?"

"Trust me on this. Now may I please finish the story?" The children fell silent again. "Thank you," Big Anakin said.

"So," he continued, "the father married this woman who had a daughter named Marlichan . . .I mean, Keeli," he quickly corrected. "The woman absolutely hated the little boy because the father paid him more attention. So, one day, after the father left for a long trip, she came up with a plan to get rid of the little boy.

"When he came home from school," Big Anakin said with a faraway look in his eyes, "the stepmother invited him into the house and took him into the back.

"_'See the chest over there?' _the woman asked him.

"_'Yes,' _he said.

"_'Do you want an apple?' _she asked.

"_'Yes,' _he said again.

"_'Then look inside and take one.' _Then the wicked woman opened the chest for Wes to look inside. He dropped to his knees and leaned his head over into the chest. Then she slammed the chest lid closed!"

Big Anakin covered his ears as the children screamed. "Stop! Stop!" he said. "You'll get into trouble!"

"What's going on in there!" Leia screamed from the kitchen. Her voice sounded more annoyed than frightened.

The children instantly stopped screaming. "Nothing!" they called back.

Big Anakin gave them a few moments before continuing. "So, before her daughter Keeli got home, she opened the chest and took the boy's head out. She placed his body into a chair outside and put his head on top. Then she tied a scarf around his head to keep it from falling over and placed an apple into his hand.

"Later that day, when Keeli came home from school, she saw the apple and asked, _'May I have a bite brother?' _Of course, he didn't answer, so she went inside and told her mother about it.

"_'What did he say?' _the woman asked.

"_'Nothing,' _Keeli answered.

"_'Then ask him again,' _the wicked mother said. _'If he doesn't say anything, then hit him on the ear.' _So Keeli went outside and asked for the apple again. Of course, Wes didn't say anything, so Keeli slapped him on the head, and it popped right off."

The children screamed again. This time, Jaina dove under the table. Jacen ran back to his bedroom. Little Anakin ran for the kitchen. Seconds later, Leia returned with Little Anakin in her arms. He was bawling loudly and leaving a combination of tears and drool on her shoulder.

Leia glared at Big Anakin. "What did you do!"

"Nothing!" Big Anakin said. "I was just telling them a story. I swear!"

"That's it!" Leia said. "From now on, you are forbidden from telling any more stories to my children. Ever!"

"But I haven't finished it yet. I haven't gotten to the part where the mother makes a stew out of the little boy."

Upon hearing this, Little Anakin's scream increased several pitches. "Anakin!" Leia called. No one knew if she were talking to her father or her son. She sat on the couch and bounced Little Anakin against her leg. She touched him through the Force to help him calm down. Jaina poked her head from under the table.

"Jaina!" Leia said. "Get up here. And find Jacen."

Jaina scrambled from under the table and ran to her bedroom to get Jacen. He was still drying his face when they returned. Leia mentally reached out to both of them as they approached her. They threw themselves against her and continued crying.

"See what you've done," Leia said to Big Anakin. "You may have permanently traumatized my children. What is wrong with you?"

Big Anakin snorted and rested his elbows against his knees with his chin in one hand. "There is just no getting along with you."

"Oh no," Leia said while waving her finger at him. "Don't go blaming this on me." On a whim, Leia flicked her hand at Big Anakin. His head jerked back as if she had slapped him across the forehead.

The impending argument was cut short when the door to Leia's bedroom opened. Han stomped into the living room. "What the hell is going on out here!"

Everyone stared at Han. The makeup was worse now than it was before. The lipstick somehow made its way across Han's chin, while the mascara covered his eyes and the bridge of his nose as if he were a masked superhero. The children suddenly began giggling.

"Stop it!" Leia said. She glanced back at Han and felt something form in her throat. She looked away and fought back the growing sensation. Then she started giggling.

"Leia?" Han asked. "What's going on out here?"

Leia rested her forehead against her fingers. She quickly began losing the struggle against the laughter.

"Leia?" Han took a step towards her before she exploded in a guffaw. "What's wrong?"

Big Anakin realized that Leia's reaction could not be distinguished between laughter and crying. She was obviously disguising it as crying.

"What's wrong?" Han repeated, this time with undeniable concern.

"I can't sleep," she answered in a panting voice. "I can't stop drinking, the kids won't go to bed, and my father's ghost is bothering me!" She "broke into tears" immediately afterwards.

Big Anakin leaned forward to look at her face. The distinction between laughing and crying was becoming increasingly blurred as Leia continued huffing and panting. Han walked to her and took Little Anakin from her arms.

Big Anakin put two fingers between his lips and let out a suggestive whistle. "Whooo, baby! Looking good! Who does your makeup!"

Leia reaction was a mixture of chortling and a hippup. When Han looked back at her, she instantly returned to the crying persona. "I'm all right," she said with a wave of her hand. "Really."

"I'll put the kids back to bed," Han offered. "Come on, you three."

"But Dad!" they started.

"No buts!" Han said. "Let's go! Now!"

Pouting, Jaina and Jacen stood and followed him back to their bedroom. When they disappeared, Leia looked at the spirit. She unconsciously raised her hand as if to Force slap him again. "What is wrong with you!" she repeated.

Big Anakin shrugged. "I just wanted to have some fun. You don't get to do that a lot after you die. You'd better calm down, or you'll blow up something vital and end up on my side of the universe."

Leia pointed two fingers at him. They were shaking in controlled rage. "When you were a Jedi, did you make it a point to make Obi-Wan Kenobi miserable?"

"A point? It was practically a way of life. I should have gotten paid for it."

"Perfect." Leia folded her arms and leaned back into the chair. She could see the beginnings of early morning twilight through the window. "Now what?" she asked.

"Well," Big Anakin offered, "since the kids are back in bed, I can finish telling you that story."

Leia rolled her eyes. "No thanks."

**Author's Note:** That horrible story Big Anakin told the children is based on "The Juniper Tree" by the Brother's Grimm. It's a real fairy tale.


	6. Evil Genius

Evil Genius

The first thing Luke noticed when he stepped into Han and Leia's apartment was his sister's disheveled appearance. She held a kitchen knife in her right hand, while her left hand was pressed against the right side of her ribcage. She greeted him with a smile and a hug, though she was obviously very tired.

"It's good to see you," Leia said, "but what are you doing here so early?"

Luke's face betrayed bewilderment. "I was called here."

"You were? By whom?" Sudden understanding appeared on her face. "Anakin!"

"What!" a man called from the kitchen.

Leia turned towards the kitchen. "Not you!"

Luke lightly tapped Leia's shoulder. "Um, Leia? What's going on?"

"I've been up all night 'entertaining' a guest. Go say hello."

"I'm afraid to ask."

Leia waved him away as Anakin Solo shuffled into the room. Leia turned the knife downwards and carefully crossed her arms. "You have some explaining to do, young man?"

"What did I do?" Anakin whined.

"It seems someone's been playing with the communications again. Did you call Uncle Luke and tell him to come here?"

Anakin ground his foot into the carpet as he tried to come up with an answer. "Well?" Leia insisted.

"Yes," Anakin answered. "But it was Grampa's idea!" he immediately added.

"It was not!" the voice in the kitchen retaliated.

"Oh shut up!" Leia screamed to the kitchen.

"Leia!" Luke interjected.

"What!" Leia placed her free hand against her temple. "I'm sorry Luke. It's been a rough night. I didn't get a wink of sleep. And neither did the children."

Luke followed Leia into the kitchen. The first thing he noticed was a shimmering blue figure sitting at the table. Leia made several stabbing motions with the knife towards the back of the specter's head as she walked past it. Then she returned to her seat and continued eating her snack.

"What's wrong now?" the figure asked Leia.

Leia pointed at Luke with the knife. "Go bother him for a change."

The figure turned just enough to look at Luke. "Come. Sit."

Luke obliged him while simultaneously trying to determine the specter's identity. "I know you," Luke finally said, "but what I'm thinking isn't possible."

"Yes, it is," Leia offered listlessly.

Luke gave the ghost another look. "Anakin Skywalker?" The ghost nodded. "You're shorter than I remember."

Anakin maintained a dignified look, while Leia nearly choked and leaned over the arm of her chair. "It was the mechanical implants," Anakin explained. "It's easier to intimidate people when you're taller than they are."

Leia caught her breath and sat up. "I've had to put up with this for hours," she told Luke. "He woke my children in the middle of the night, kept me up, told the children inappropriate stories, and convinced them to decorate their father's face."

"Inappropriate stories?" Luke asked. "Father, what did you do?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that!" Anakin insisted. "I was just trying to entertain them."

Little Anakin returned with Jacen and Jaina in tow. As soon as they saw Luke, they simultaneously squealed and tackled him in his chair.

"It's all right," Big Anakin said. "They tried to do that to me, too."

When they finally decided to let him go, Luke asked them what had happened. "He was telling us stories about the Clone Wars," Jaina answered excitedly.

"He wouldn't tell us any Darth Vader stories," Jacen said with a pout.

Jaina swung her hands around as if wielding a lightsaber. "He told us about when he cut off a Sith Lord's hands. Then Grampa cut off his head!"

"You see?" Leia pointed out. "He's been doing things like that all night. One story had the children running through the apartment screaming."

Big Anakin leaned his head back and rolled his eyes. "I didn't know they were going to do that."

Luke leaned against his elbow. "What did you tell them that could possibly scare them that much?" he asked skeptically.

Before Big Anakin could answer, Little Anakin leaned against Luke's chair. "He told us about a little boy whose head fell off." Little Anakin spread his arms around as if demonstrating an explosion.

Luke gave his father a wide eyed glance. "You did what?"

Big Anakin shrugged. "Don't start chastising me. I got enough of that from Leia. It was a legitimate fairy tale. I didn't mean to scare them. But now my daughter, your sister, their mother, has banned me from telling them any stories ever again."

"For good reason," Leia added. Luke noticed Leia's gaze suddenly turning towards a point above his head. Her face contorted as if she were in pain, then she gave in to a slight chuckle.

"Leia?" Luke called. Big Anakin followed her gaze and displayed an exaggerated smile. The children had no discernible reaction, so they might possibly have had something to do with it. Luke turned in his chair and nearly screamed.

Han was standing in the doorway. His face was now a catastrophe of mascara, blush, and lipstick. He rubbed his eyes before noticing Luke. "Hey, kid," Han said with a yawn. A few seconds passed before he registered Luke's expression. "What's wrong?"

"Uh, nothing." Luke turned to Leia. "Do you see anything wrong?"

"Very much so," she said. "Han, go take a shower. You really, really want one right now."

Han raised his arm as if to smell his armpit. "I don't smell bad."

"It's not the smell," Luke said. "Trust us."

Everyone waited for Han to finish getting a drink of water before he scuttled back into the main room. Luke felt everyone was holding his or her breath until Han disappeared. Then the children burst into a fit of laughter. Leia fought it for a few more seconds before finally giving in. She banged her fork against the table, then tossed it aside and placed her hands against her face.

"Do you see what I have to put up with?" she asked. Luke didn't know if she were upset or having a giggling fit. He reached to her through the Force and realized she was trying to figure it out herself.

Big Anakin's smile quickly faded. "You are no fun. If I'd raised you, you wouldn't be so uptight."

Leia rolled her eyes. "If you'd raised us, we'd be running around terrorizing innocent people."

Big Anakin shrugged. "And?"

Leia lunged forward as if to throw herself at him. She stopped instantly after realizing she wouldn't be able to harm him. He pointed to her chair and made a downward motion as she sat down again.

"Do you see?" Leia repeated to Luke. "He never stops. I can't stand it!"

"I was just joking." Big Anakin leaned towards the children. "Isn't that right?"

"Yeah!" the children said in unison. "That's right, Mom," Jaina added as if scolding Leia.

"She's a tightwad, isn't she?" Big Anakin incited. All three children opened their mouths, but a stern glare from Leia caused them to cringe and take a step backwards.

"It's okay, Leia." Luke said. "He'll have to go away eventually."

Big Anakin chuckled. "But not anytime soon."

"Well," Leia said, "I'll take Father over Threepio any day. Father is somewhat less annoying. If I ever knew who built Threepio, I'd rip his fingernails out."

To everyone's surprise, Big Anakin slammed both hands against the tabletop. The unnerving smile returned. All eyes turned towards him in a moment of silence. Suddenly understanding, Leia's eyes grew wide. Then she grimaced, yelped, and dropped her head against the table.

"Let me at least pretend it's not true," she mumbled against the table.

"You built Threepio, Grampa?" Jaina asked.

"Cool!" Jacen said at the same time.

Leia lifted her head. "All this time, I've had that thing running around my home and caring for my children. And annoying my husband."

"An unfortunate side effect of protocol," Big Anakin said.

Luke laughed. "It must be destiny," he joked.

Leia glared at her twin until her head ached. "That's not funny. Destiny my big toe!"

The mood was shattered by a scream from the refresher. "Leiaaaaaaaaaa!" Han's voice carried throughout the apartment. The children gasped and crowded behind Luke's chair.

"Don't bring me into this," Luke warned them.

"But Uncle Luke," Little Anakin pleaded, "Dad will kill us."

"You should have thought of that before you painted his face."

"But it was Grampa's idea."

Big Anakin groaned as if in pain. At the same time, Han marched back into the kitchen. He pointed to his face. "All right," he demanded, "who did it?" His eyes turned towards the children. "Any volunteers?"

The children giggled, but Han's expression caused them to shrink further behind Luke. Knowing that Han wouldn't hear him, Big Anakin laughed at Han's trainwreck of a face. Leia waved her hand at him as if to discipline him.

"That's enough."

"No!" Han insisted. "I want to know who did it! Confess!"

Big Anakin laughed.

The children peered out from around Luke's chair. "It wasn't our idea!" Jacen said.

"Oh, stop it!" Leia said. "Just suck it up and admit you did it. It doesn't matter whose idea it was."

Big Anakin laughed a little louder.

Luke leaned back in his chair. When the children were completely focused on Han, Luke used the Force to push his chair back against the wall. The children squealed in dismay as their only cover slid across the room. All three moved as if to make a run for it. In just a few large steps, Han blocked their escape route. They gasped and backed away.

"The fun's over," Han said. "Just tell me what happened. I won't get mad. I promise."

Jacen stood behind Jaina and crouched as if to make himself shrink. Little Anakin stood behind Jacen and did the same. "Okay," Jaina began confessing. "We did the makeup."

Big Anakin laughed just a little louder.

Jaina ran to the back of the line and crouched behind Little Anakin. Jacen looked up at Han. "We did it while you were sleeping on the couch." Then he turned and crouched behind Jaina. She pushed Little Anakin forward.

Little Anakin stared up at Han for a moment. "Well?" Han asked. "Do you have anything to add?"

Little Anakin looked around as if trying to think of a good answer. His grandfather's chuckles began to make him nervous. Little Anakin lifted his head to look at Han again. The words that came out of his mouth did no one any good. They were words he'd said too many times before. They were meaningless, especially to Han.

"It was Grampa's idea!"

Big Anakin released a full blown guffaw.

Little Anakin broke into a run towards his bedroom. Jaina and Jacen quickly followed suit.

Leia fell back into her chair as if she were exhausted. "Anakin!" she groaned.

Little Anakin leaned into the kitchen. "What?" Jaina grabbed Little Anakin's arm and dragged him back towards the bedroom.

Han folded his arms. "Leia? What the hell is going on?"

Big Anakin covered his mouth. Leia watched him stand and follow the children. Han didn't notice, of course. "Bad ancestral influence," Leia explained. "Anakin Skywalker was just paying them a visit and it got out of hand. It really was his idea."

"But that doesn't excuse the kids," Luke added. "He manipulated them into misbehaving all night, thereby ridding himself of all responsibility. He must be an evil genius."


	7. Bedtime in the Sunshine

Bedtime in the Sunshine

"I'm sorry," Big Anakin said insincerely as his grandchildren climbed into bed. "I didn't know you'd actually get into trouble."

"We don't believe you," Jacen said. "You were using us to cause some mayhem."

The spirit slipped into the remaining shadows as the sun began to creep through the window. "Jacen, I'm hurt." To the children's surprise, Big Anakin began to pout. Jaina thought she even heard a whimper.

"Aw, he's faking it!" Little Anakin accused.

Big Anakin's pout deepened. This time, Jaina was sure that she heard him whimper. "Don't cry, Grampa," she said. "He didn't mean it."

Big Anakin turned towards Little Anakin. Little Anakin snuggled under his covers. "Yes I did."

"Fine," Big Anakin said. "I know when I'm not wanted." He feigned a sniffle as he turned to walk away.

"Wait!" all three called at once.

Big Anakin stopped with one foot in the air. He slowly lowered it to the floor. "Suckers," he mumbled in Toyderian. "What?" he said in Basic.

"We're sorry," Jacen said. "Please don't go yet."

Big Anakin mentally rubbed his hands together in wicked glee. "Okay." He spun to face the children. It was then he realized how tired they all looked. "On second thought, maybe I should give you the day off. Your parents need the space anyway."

"Noooo!" they all whined.

Big Anakin spread his hands. "What do you want me to do? Tell you another story?" To his surprise, the children actually didn't say anything. "What?" he asked. "You didn't like the last story I told you?"

"Can't you tell us one that won't scare us or make Mom mad?" Little Anakin asked.

Big Anakin thought for a moment. "Well, there was that time when . . .wait. I can't tell you that one." He thought a little longer. "Oh! When I was in the Outer Rim . . .nope. Can't tell you that one either." He tapped his fingers together. "I got it! This was when your grandmother and I were on Naboo, and . . .hold on. I REALLY can't tell you that one."

This time it was the children's turn to pout. "I don't believe it," Big Anakin said. "I actually don't have anything to tell you."

"Why don't you make something up?" Jaina suggested.

Big Anakin sighed. "I can do that." His eyes moved back and forth as his mind raced to create something on the spot. "Okay," he said as he raised his hands. "This one is about a boy and a girl who were lost in the forest. All they had to lead them home was a trail of breadcrumbs. They continued through the forest until they came upon a house made of candy."

(X)

"Did you know about this?" Han asked Leia.

"Of course I knew," she said between chuckles. "It was a good night, so I decided to wait to tell you."

"A good night?" Han asked. "For what?"

"Anakin was just visiting his grandchildren. He didn't mean any harm."

"He didn't mean any harm?" Han leaned towards Luke. "This coming from a woman who used to hate his guts."

"Oh Han," Leia groaned. "I've grown up since then. That's all behind me, or else I wouldn't have gotten this far through his visit. Hell, I wouldn't have gotten through all these years of being called Lady Vader by the Noghri."

Han finished wiping his face with a damp cloth. "Either way, that's no excuse for what they did."

"Even so," Luke offered, "how many chances will they get to cause total mayhem, all in the name of Anakin Skywalker? They'll probably never see him again in their natural lives."

Han glared at his brother-in-law. "Are you saying you condone this?"

"No," Luke said. "I'm just saying they've had a once in a lifetime opportunity. Let them enjoy it. It'll be over soon."

"And that is the key phrase," Leia said. "It will be over soon."

(X)

The children were never quite sure how it happened. One minute, their grandfather was telling them about two children lost in the woods, eating a house made of candy, and then being fattened so an evil woman could make them into stew. The next minute, he was telling them about how it reminded him of such and such, and then he ran off on a tangent about when he and Obi-wan landed on the living planet Zonama Sekot. Then he proceeded to relate a tale of chaotic battle in an arena before getting into a story about getting drunk with Obi-wan on Naos III. For the rest of their lives, they never understood what really went on in the fifteen minutes it took to get through all that.

"Wait! Wait!" Jaina said. "Are you telling us a fairy tale or your life story?"

"What difference does it make?" Big Anakin asked. His hands were still in the air as he was halfway through a lightsaber swing.

"Well, you're confusing us."

Big Anakin narrowed his eyes. "I can't tell you what I want to tell you. You'll just go screaming to your mother again."

"Okay, okay," Jacen said while waving his hands. "We'll be good this time. Just tell us something good."

"What if you go running off again?"

"We won't! I promise!"

Big Anakin looked at Jaina and Little Anakin. "What about you two?" They simply nodded. "Fine," Big Anakin said. "Let me think . . .okay! I got one! Jacen wanted a Darth Vader story, so I'll tell you about the time I went to this volcano planet called Mustafar."

(X)

The first thing Han, Luke, and Leia heard was screaming. Han and Luke leapt to their feet and ran for the children's bedroom. At her wits' end, Leia let her head drop against the table again. As soon as she stood, and before Han and Luke reached the door, Jacen and Jaina ran into them while in a mad dash for the kitchen.

"Whoa!" Han said as he grabbed Jaina by her collar. "What's going on?"

Jacen looked up at Luke and began pointing towards the bedroom. Though he tried to say something, he seemed incapable of actually forming any words. Leia stepped into the living room and folded her arms as she waited patiently for her father's explanation.

Seconds later, Little Anakin dashed out of the bedroom. He was obviously in a good mood, as he swung his arms around and giggled hysterically. Big Anakin was close behind. He reached down to grab his namesake by the shirt. Whether he could have gotten a grip on his grandson didn't matter; he missed anyway and fell facefirst onto the floor.

"Well, Father," Leia said as Big Anakin stood, "at least you managed to spare one of them. What was it this time? A woman who found out her husband was a cannibal? Or maybe you finished that story about the kid whose head fell off?"

Big Anakin dismissed her with a casual wave of his hand. "It was nothing like that. I told them about when I fought Obi-wan on Mustafar, right after I became Darth Vader. That's all."

"Yeah!" Little Anakin said excitedly. "They fought, and fought, and, and, and, and Obi-wan cut off Grampa's left arm and both of his legs! And Grampa was set on fire! And that's why he had to wear that big black suit!"

Leia tapped her foot impatiently as she raised her fiery gaze to her father's ghost. "Hey!" Big Anakin said. "I don't know why you're upset this time." Big Anakin extended a hand towards Little Anakin. "He liked it!"

"I know," Leia said. "Which is exactly why I named him after you." Leia ruffled Little Anakin's hair. "I thought I told you you were banned from telling my children any stories."

"Huh? Oh!" Big Anakin wrinkled his forehead as if it were simply a matter he conveniently forgot. "I guess you did. Oh well."

Leia walked towards the children's bedroom. "In here, Father. Now!"

"Why?"

As she passed him, Leia subconsciously reached up to snatch his ear. He saw it coming and leaned out of the way. Leia continued past him. Big Anakin looked back towards the children before following. The twins pointed towards him.

"Ooooooooh" they said. "You're in trouuuuuuuuubbbbblllllllleee." Anakin jerked towards them and growled like a snapping dog. They gasped and hid behind Han and Luke.

Everyone watched them enter the bedroom in silence. Moments later, they heard Leia's angry voice in her chastising mother mood. Luke and the children heard Anakin Skywalker complaining back at her, along with some obviously unpleasant words in Toyderian. To Han, it was a one-sided conversation. Little Anakin translated for him while leaving out the adult parts. Everyone waited in silence until Leia stomped out of the bedroom with Big Anakin right behind her. She waved her hand towards the bedroom.

"Take the kids to bed."

Big Anakin was sure she was talking to him. "What?"

Leia's eyes widened as she smirked at her father. "Put the kids back to bed. You got them up. You put them down."

"Are you serious? The sun's coming up."

"Don't you ever do as you're told?"

Big Anakin scoffed. "What are you? Drunk?"

Leia instantly returned to her motherly persona. "Put the kids to bed, Father. Just do as you're told, and no one has to get hurt."

Big Anakin felt just slightly less cocky. "Are you serious?"

All three children nodded. "Yeeeeaaaah!" they said.

Big Anakin rolled his eyes. "Fine. Follow me, you little Tuskan Raiders."

As if on cue, all three children raised their arms above their heads and began to squeal and honk like Sand People. Luke, Leia, and Han watched in bewilderment as Jaina, Jacen, and Little Anakin galumphed back towards their room.


	8. The Last Word

The Last Word

"Okay guys. This is for real this time. Chop chop." Big Anakin clapped his hands together as if to herd the children to bed. To his surprise, they jumped into their beds without hesitation. Jacen pulled his bed covers over his head. Big Anakin could tell he made no efforts to fall asleep. With a wave of his hand, Big Anakin Force Pulled the covers back to expose Jacen's head. Jacen grabbed them and pulled them back to his chin.

"What is your deal?" Big Anakin asked.

"I know what's wrong with him," Jaina teased. "He's afraid to go to sleep. You scared it out of him."

"He did not!" Jacen insisted. "I'm just more comfortable this way."

"I bet you are," Jaina continued.

"Jacen, don't tell me you're afraid of monsters under your bed and stuff," Big Anakin said.

Jacen shrugged. "Okay, I won't."

"Jacen! I'm embarrassed. No Skywalker has ever been afraid of what's under his bed."

"How would you know?"

Little Anakin giggled hysterically. Jacen scowled at him. "Oh, shut up!"

"All right you two!" Big Anakin nearly yelled. All three children hid under the covers again. "Seriously, Jacen, you don't honestly believe anything could get at you in here, do you?"

"I don't know," Jaina continued to tease. "You got in here. Why can't anything else?"

"Well, that's a bit of a stretch."

"Are you the only one who could have popped in here like that?"

Big Anakin opened his mouth as if to say no, then stopped in thought. "Um, no."

"Then there are others who could come in here like you did?"

"Um, yes."

Jacen sank even further beneath the covers. Little Anakin giggled again. "I know what's wrong with him. Your stories will give him nightmares."

"They will not!" Jacen said.

Big Anakin waved his hand dismissively. "That story about the kid whose head fell off wasn't real. It never happened."

"Who told it to you?"

"One of my friends when I was a Jedi Padawan. Why?"

"Nothing." Jacen rolled over as if to go to sleep. "Good night!"

Big Anakin shrugged as if he'd been offended. "Fine. What about you two?" he asked Jaina and Little Anakin.

"I'll just pretend I'm asleep," Little Anakin. "Mom will never know the difference."

"That's my boy!" Big Anakin praised. "What about you?" he asked Jaina.

"Don't ask me," she said as if she were expecting to get into trouble. "I want some peace and quiet. You just like to get us into trouble."

"So I've been told. Remember that I haven't touched a single person or thing in this entire apartment."

"Well, a bunch of stuff still happened."

"And why is that?"

"Because we did it for you!" Jaina suddenly gasped when she realized what she said. "Oh. Nevermind." She ducked under the covers and sighed.

"I guess this is it then," Little Anakin said. "Now you just have to go away."

Big Anakin raised his finger. "Show some respect, or I'll tell you another story."

Jacen instantly sat up. He realized too late that the covers were still over his head. He pulled them down. "No! Don't say anything! We'll be good! I'm going right to sleep!" As quickly as he had popped up, he lay down again and feigned sleep.

"Wimp," Jaina muttered.

Jacen heard her anyway. "I am not a wimp!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Enough!" Big Anakin demanded. All three children stared at him as if he had hit them. "What!"

"You scolded us," Little Anakin said as if his feelings were hurt. "We're supposed to be your partners in crime."

Big Anakin nodded. "I know, but Jacen is such a wimp."

"Am not!" Jacen protested.

"Oh yeah?" Big Anakin asked with a wicked look. "Then," he thought for a moment, "what about . . .that monster under your bed!"

Big Anakin held his hands out. Before Jacen could react, his bed rocked back and forth violently. All three children squealed until Big Anakin released his Force Grip. When the comotion finally died down, the children glared at Big Anakin as he laughed at their expense.

"You're such tools!" Big Anakin continued laughing until he realized the children's expressions of anger became fear. All three pulled the covers over their heads again.

"Uh oh," Big Anakin said. He turned just enough to see Leia over his shoulder. "Hey!" he said as if it were the first time he had seen her.

To his surprise, and dismay, she remained perfectly calm. "That's enough. Say goodnight." Big Anakin stared as if she had spoken in a language he didn't understand. "I said, say goodnight," she said.

Big Anakin folded his arms. "And if I don't."

Leia maintained her calm demeanor. "I'll tell you a story about the first time I saw a sandy beach, and the first time I was in the Imperial Senate, and the first time I bought a flashy wardrobe."

Big Anakin raised his hands in concession. "All right, I give." He turned back towards the children and raised his arms as if giving a great speech. "All right, you little Tuskan Raiders, I have to say goodbye."

The children sat up. "Nooooo!" they whined in high pitched voices.

"Go to bed!" Leia ordered. Pouting as usual, the children lay down again.

"It's all right," Big Anakin said. "If you're good, I might come back, but this time your Mom wins."

"Oooooooooh," the children said with obvious disappointment. With a wave of his hand, Big Anakin used the Force to ruffle their hair.

"All right guys," he said as he backed out of their room behind Leia. "Good night, sweet dreams, and don't forget to make your parents miserable on my behalf."

Leia glared at the ghost before acknowledging her husband and brother in the living room. "Don't mind me," she said to them. "I have a lot of sleep to catch up on. If either of you disturb me, I'll kill you."

She continued on to her bedroom. Luke glanced at Big Anakin as Big Anakin motioned towards her and mouthed the words, "Your sister's insane." Luke broke into a laugh, which quickly died when Leia turned her glare to him. He casually turned away, and she moved on with the ghost in tow. They both disappeared into her bedroom.

"What do you want now?" Leia said as she threw herself onto her bed. "I'm not as eager as my children for your company."

"I noticed. Not to mention your kidneys seem to be on vacation now."

Leia moaned as she kicked her bedsheets away. "Now you're just being a pain in the ass on purpose."

"Hey!" Anakin raised, and lowered, a finger to Leia's nose. "Don't sass me, young lady!"

"Oh, now you're trying to discipline me. Why bother?"

"Because I am your father!" Anakin suddenly froze as he thought for a moment. "Where have I heard that before?"

"I have an idea." Leia threw the pillow at Anakin. It sailed through him and landed on the other side of the room. "Drat it!"

"Go pick it up!"

"Why?"

"Because you threw it."

"Big deal. It was Han's pillow anyway."

"Fair enough."

Leia groaned as she threw herself against her pillow. "Do I have your permission to lose consciousness now?"

"Go ahead. Makes no difference to me, your Highnessness."

Leia moaned like a zombie at the reference. Rather than comment on it, she curled into a fetal position and planted her face into her pillow.

"Leia," Anakin said. She groaned again in response. "Leia?" Another groan. "Leia?" More groaning.

Anakin thought for a moment. Then he leaned over her head and whispered, "Mal'ary'ush."

He jumped back as Leia's hand shot up and flashed an obscene gesture at him. "Hey!" he said. "I said don't sass me, missy!"

Leia wrapped her arm around herself. "Whatever," she mumbled as she finally managed to drift into slumber.

"Leia?" Anakin leaned over her again. When she didn't respond, he respectfully backed away. He waved his hand at the bedsheets and Force Pulled them to her shoulders. "Good night, or morning."

"Good night, Father," Leia said.

Anakin stared at her for a moment, as if he were sure he had not heard her correctly. Then he raised his hand. Leia felt a light playful smack against her head. She sat up with a reprimand on the tip of her tongue, but she never got to say it.

Anakin was gone.

"Damn," she said. "He got the last word." She lay down again and listened to the silence. "It's quiet. Too quiet." Leia mentally chastised herself. She refused to admit that she missed him. Instead, she stretched across the bed and finally went to sleep.


End file.
